Celebrating 20 years on North Long Lake Road
“When Hildegarde Solzbacher, director of my AMI teacher training program, asked each of us to describe the Montessori school of our dreams, I said I imagined a place where children would be free to explore learning surrounded by adults who guided them with patience and love. More specifically I imagined a peaceful building, big lawns, lots of trees, flower gardens and even a winding driveway. Beginning with the farmhouse in Suttons Bay over 40 years ago, I have had the rare privilege of seeing a dream become a reality. It was only when Colleen Christensen, followed by other dreamers and doers, joined hands around an evolving vision that The Children’s House we now call “home” became a reality. With families who met endlessly around maps and plans, architects who agreed to design windows and wainscoting that grew taller with each age group, builders who treated the project as their own, donors who gave selflessly, teachers and staff who supported the challenge of the big move and landscapers who devised a way to save all of the trees, The Children’s House took on a life of its own. I will never forget the words of a three year old as she skipped through the lobby to the car line after her first day in the new primary classroom. She said breathlessly, “Daddy, it’s magic in there!” It is.”
- Gretchen Uhlinger, Founder
“I can’t believe it’s been 20 years for the Children’s House campus. What a journey! It’s difficult to imagine our school operating in the previous locations. Our community would simply not be what it is today. This space was designed to be the physical manifestation of what we stand for and for the essence of the Montessori philosophy: children of all ages learning and growing together in shared spaces that engage the outside world.” - McKeel Hagerty
“Inviting, inspiring, lovely, conducive to learning and community, all jump to mind as I consider the building and grounds we are fortunate to call school. No matter where you are, it's a comfortable home. The school feels like a little village, yet each connected room is snug and comfortable. Interesting architecture brings in natural lighting and is perfect for follow up lessons such as shape and angle identification. The door from our classroom into the courtyard makes that space a wonderful extension of our classroom, enhancing opportunities for our learners!” - Nadine Elmgren
“I vividly remember the first time we walked the acreage that would become our Long Lake campus. There was a barn where we eventually built our gym and a house near the road. The space was a garden center with several greenhouses and many trees. After the purchase, many of the trees were temporarily relocated to what we called the nursery while construction took place. The trees were watered by hand for the entire next year until they could be distributed around our beautiful new building. We sold all but one of the greenhouses, that one we decided to use for growing our own plants with our learners' help. Now, I feel fortunate to come to such a lovely space every day and think the beauty of your space is felt by even the youngest members of our community.” - Steve Maas
“The architect truly understood our desire to incorporate Montessori ideas into the building itself. One thing that impressed me was the variety of materials and textures used indoors that provide sensory differences: “bumpy” cool metal, natural warm wood, smooth concrete, lots of windows for natural light, etc. This was very intentional. Every indoor classroom had a door to the outdoor classroom. The coatroom areas, benches, and restroom fixtures were designed for student use, apportioned to their size. I was impressed with the way Colleen Christensen was able to communicate her dream to the designers who brought it to life.” - Eileen Mikulski
